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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29223414">Stuck</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeaTempest/pseuds/SeaTempest'>SeaTempest</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff and Angst, Modern AU, Trapped In Elevator</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:56:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,748</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29223414</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeaTempest/pseuds/SeaTempest</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He wasn't sure if his day could get any worse than this, but apparently, it could.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stuck</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Anything else, sir?" the waitress asked, for a fourth time in the last ten minutes, and by now it was crystal clear to him that she was simply asking him for something else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Couldn't be helped. He attracted all sorts of people. Blaming this one for everything wasn't going to be fair or right, but he just felt like it. The urge erupted inside him and he was helpless to stop it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, but if you're so desperate, you can go down the street. There are plenty of candidates," he growled, without caring to look at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luckily for him, her presence lingered there for a few seconds, still and silent, before going away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He lost all chances at restoring that damned company in one single day. The downfall wasn't that unexpected, with all those stupid subordinates that only worsened everything and messed up one last time, to have him question why he didn't give up on his father's vision and his brother's ideas.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What a failure.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Years of his life wasted away. All that he tried to do, to keep that company from falling apart, didn't work. And now he was left with nothing. With no one. Placed back in a starting position.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pressure he applied to the long-stemmed glass in his hand finally prevailed and shattered it into little pieces, sending a shudder through him. His eyes quickly fell on his palm and looked carefully for any glass that may have carved into his skin, but was relieved to find none.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Great.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Grabbing a napkin from the cocktail table, he tried to wrap his cut as loosely as he could, paid for the whiskey, and made his way to the elevator outside the bar. Wasn't particularly clever to make a bar at the top of a building. Good view. Zero consideration on cases of emergency. All in all, dumb idea. He'd never invest in such a thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasuke reached for the elevator button and hit it with his knuckles, keeping his hand away from the thousand-dollar three-piece suit. His eyes ran over the clear metallic reflection against him. That suit will have to go too if he didn't want to end up on the streets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The click of arrival nearly had him curse out loud. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Finally</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The doors opened and he stormed in, clashing knuckles at the already lit up Parking Lot button. There was someone in the elevator as well, then. He looked up to scan the small two-by-two square carelessly and found a petite-looking, formally-dressed woman looking back at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was she a journalist? She was a journalist. The curiosity, the eccentric hair, the adoration. Her eyes gleamed oddly as they held his boldly for a while, then suddenly averted as if remembering that it wasn't ok to stare, a light blush coloring her porcelain skin. Not a journalist. Journalists stared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door clicked shut with a single, smooth sonance and distracted him from her, dragging his attention back to his bleeding hand. The throbbing ache was slightly turning into a nuisance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elevator shifted down for a few long seconds of reiterating, calming clicks, and then came the shrilling screech he usually heard on worn-out car brake discs. Then the long, long seconds of expectancy. And then the sudden, sharp stop of the elevator. Whatever it was, the sound of it meant bad news. The electricity went out and… stayed that way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No…" the woman next to him spoke out, her breathing loud in the weird new silence and voice shaking tangibly. "Oh no, no, no. What's going on?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hell should he know? And now it was completely dark. It was one of the old ones, he thought, if there weren't any emergency lights on by now. Dammit. Old ones meant fewer chances to get out soon as well. He groped about, skimming over the board with buttons and furrowed. He needed to see so he pulled out his lighter, illuminating the cube of space with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>terribly</span>
  </em>
  <span> old, thank god. He found a small red </span>
  <em>
    <span>Help</span>
  </em>
  <span> button for emergencies and pushed it, making the elevator light up with a deafened red tint. Ok, well… it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> terribly old. The red lighting in elevators had to be extinct, as far as he knew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If the pain didn't clear up his senses, he would've thought he's dreaming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn't sure if his day could get any worse than this, but apparently, it could. It was practically close to irony of fate, to have so many bad things arranged for him to happen in a row. But then again. Bad luck and deaths weren't much of a surprise in his family. They did die fittingly for the media and the news, together in a car crash. Why did this have to even bother him?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasuke turned around, finding that strange woman looking at him in silence. There was a healthy dose of concern on her features and he thought it's, logically, connected to their state of an unexpected cul-de-sac, but then she stepped up, her hand carefully reaching for his, to take a better look at his left hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was headed for the kit in my car, but…" he heard himself say, somehow obliged to explain the odd situation. Then he stepped away from her, irritated at the fact that she thought he wouldn't notice her getting so close without his permission. Her expression enquired for the reason of his sharp movement, but she seemed to get the message, backing away a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he thought about it, he really had to do something about that cut, if he was going to stay there for the next half an hour or so. He drew out the black shirt until it wasn't tucked anymore, grabbing the fine crease with both hands and with the full intention to ruin it then and there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't tear that shirt, I'm sure it's worth more than everything I have on me altogether!" Sakura breathed out, but after a brief pause chuckled, "I have a better idea."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grabbed the low part of her own shirt and tore a long, linear piece with a little bit of a questionable focus and willingness (he was trained to see them on people), and highly reluctant, after a long minute of scowling, he let her near him again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lucky for you, I am a doctor," Sakura announced with a controlled smile on her glossed lips. "My name is Sakura."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't let that sigh of relief slip away from him and held onto his wilful, stoic demeanor. It was his last bit of dignity and the only thing he hadn't lost in this wretched day. Good for her. Even better for him. The part where luck intervened in his fate usually ended up in a catastrophe. Strangely enough, she was the one thing today that was in its right place and time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her hands unbuttoned the luxurious button on his black satin shirt and pulled upwards with a slow, measured motion that did more to nail his attention than to make him feel uncomfortable (and maybe it should have). His eyes narrowed, darting back up to her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The red light did all it could to elevate her stunning, celadon eyes and regular features, but it wasn't enough. His memory of her face in normal light had him yearning to glimpse at it once again. Just to make a comparison. The darkness didn't quite… give her justice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasuke blinked away at the stinging pain in his hand while she carefully removed the napkin and started wrapping the cloth around the cut. She had come closer, on purpose or not, and the warmth of her presence was emanating tangibly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"People envy you a lot, you know," Her soothing but slightly shaking voice slid into the previously heavy silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she did know who he was. Of course she did, he was pretty famous. Sasuke puffed out the air in his lungs in exasperation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"People are stupid," he snapped. "There's nothing to envy."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakura diligently tucked the cloth so that it stayed in place and her much smaller hands gently lifted his up to the light, so that she could see what she'd done. Seemingly, she was pleased with the work and smiled again, letting him go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somehow, he knew she didn't agree with him, but they chose to remain silent. Then it kind of hit him, that he was fed up with having people all around him in a chase of adoration without knowing anything about him or what he was going through. It was in equal doses frustrating and unfair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I lost everything I had today," he spoke bluntly, surprised at the impulse that ran through him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something about the way he was stuck in this narrow, secluded, and silent place, the way that semi-darkness made everything meaningless, like time has stopped and nothing mattered, and the way this woman looked at him like she could be trapped till death in this elevator and she wouldn't mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn't like he hadn't received tons of affection and attention before. She just cared, in some mysterious, tender way like she had waited for him to cut himself all her life, in this elevator, and helping him brought ultimate joy on her features.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I am very sorry," she was sad, her hand in mid-motion as if wishing to touch him again, but she sharply backed away and her body leaned back on the wall, "I-I wish I knew how to help."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that, just now. It was so predictable and simple, and he hated it. Why couldn't it be something different?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, you can't."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakura looked up with a little flinch at his bitter tone and shrunk her form, appearing even smaller.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can… drive you to the hospital if you want," she offered, timidly, and it made him even madder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can drive myself," he ground his teeth, the annoyance quickly replacing his initial fascination.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don't need a mom, thank you very much.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The pause opened up again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The anger had his eyes fixed on her and for a moment they stared at each other intensely, his heart sensibly beating in the thick silence. Now that he was looking at her, he wasn't sure what he liked in the first place. He had to get out of this place as soon as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Damn this elevator and everything in this damned building. He removed his jacket, suddenly unnerved with the realization of how tight that dark cube he was in actually was. And that woman was still locked on him most insolently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What are you staring at?" Sasuke snarled and she averted her eyes as if woken from a dream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nothing, just…" her voice trailed away quietly, but his pride stung at him mercilessly and he bit back another harsh remark. He was more curious than irritated, to what she was thinking about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just what?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakura chuckled breathlessly. "Ah, nothing, just your eyes… They look</span>
  <span>—</span>
  <span>" she bit at her lip, her gaze falling to her bag. "They look red on this light."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasuke was taken aback by the off-topic observation. There was a slight ironic tint in her remark, though. Was that in some way funny to her?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You don't have to be angry </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> the time, you know," she added, with a small shrug and a smile. "I don't want to attack or hurt you in any way. Why do you act like it?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I do that," he retorted, leaning back against the wall. "With people I highly dislike and want to have nothing in common with."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her brows rose with surprise she couldn't put into words and then she nodded apprehensively, with a momentary pain twisting her features before she turned her face aside as if to hide her face from the faint light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shadows couldn't hide the swallow she did and the almost unnoticeable way she hugged her bag closer. Before he could comprehend her behavior fully, the lights flickered for a few long seconds and the original ones clicked on, bathing the whole elevator in bright light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasuke squinted, adjusting to it in what seemed to him an eternity. He put his jacket again and clasped the loosened button on his hand with impatience. Unfortunately, he was all done and the elevator still wasn't moving. He guessed he'd have to wait a little more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even half-turned and utterly done with this unpleasant experience, he couldn't stop himself from turning to look at her again, and she was still there, pale and beyond the line of the socially acceptable sadness. Her eyes were blurry when she looked down at the delicate, ivory bracelet that adorned her wrist and shakily tried to fix it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elevator shifted, at last, and she looked up with hope, her profile suddenly so picturesque in that light that he remembered wishing to have another look at her like that. It wasn't every day that he saw such… harmony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her teary eyes caught him staring, but he didn't move away. She did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elevator stopped and she dashed out of it at the moment the doors opened. Sasuke followed, strutting in another direction entirely, where his car waited. The sound of heels echoed in the vast space of the parking lot. He stopped in his tracks when he heard keys dropping to the ground and someone picking them back up. His eyes fell on the piece of her shirt she wrapped around his hand and… he sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasuke turned around in time to see Sakura brushing her tears with the sleeve of her coat and trying her best to see where the unlocking button on the tiny keys was. The sight caused a tumble in his stomach that he couldn't ignore anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Running from this wasn't going to make the day any better, for sure. Or make him a better person as well. Sasuke was all too sure about it, but it felt like her care was too excessive for the gaping void he had been forming into after his family left him on his own, with no advice whatsoever. She offered too much of what he had been missing so he lashed out at her in disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time he was a step away from her, she had long noticed him approaching and her body straightened up bravely to meet him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"W-what?" Sakura tried her best to restore her dignity, altering her voice to sound serious and her face to become an emotionless mask once again. The sadness was just stained on her face, though, and she couldn't fool him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could tell that his words, even though they weren't meant to sound evil or deal irreversible damage, hurt her profoundly somehow… and it stung him. He was bad, but he wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> kind of bad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakura was surprised at his answer at first, then she looked down to her feet, hands squeezing her bag and brows wrinkled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's, uh… it's nothing," she chuckled, looking back up to him with a renewed smile. Warm, radiant smile and… hopeful eyes. A smile that seemed like a first one and eyes that seemed like they have never known sadness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took her ten seconds to forgive him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasuke furrowed at her before proceeding to near her and observing the utter astonishment in her as he did, eyes wide. He grabbed that bag from her hands and put it on the car's roof, making her gasp and flush heavily as he decided it's a good time to kiss her. The pressure must've been a bit more than he anticipated because she sagged under it, stepping back to lean back along the car's window. Their bodies pressed together for a brief second, while his lips plied against hers eagerly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he pulled away a little and let them both take a breath, Sakura peered right into his eyes with a half-smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't believe in coincidences," she whispered, shaking her head. "And I think you don't have to be angry anymore."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasuke didn't feel the need to reply, thinking over her words as she wrapped her hands around his waist and hugged him as if she had always done it. Somehow, he knew the man that entered that elevator wouldn't be the same as the one who left it. So whoever had created that grand scheme of cosmogonic mathematics, he was grateful. Sakura was all he ever thought he needed to survive.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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